Qais Al Khonji, the founder of Genesis Projects and Investments, is the only one Omani businessmen included in the Gulf Business‘ list of top 10 most talented entrepreneurs in the region. An online vote will determine the best of them. The newspaper comprised the list based on the audited financial results of the companies. Besides that, the jury panel also conducted independent research.
Al Khonji started his business in 2013. The company offers cutting-edge exploration and production laboratory service for the petroleum industry. Nowadays, he has agreements with companies like Occidental Oman, Petroleum Development Oman, Oman Oil Refineries, and more:
At Genesis International, we manufacture the equipment that does all the above work, but we only sell them to educational institutes, so we do not create our competitors.
Al Khonji also serves as a board member of Sharakah. The organization supports starting entrepreneurs by providing funding and mentorship. Next to that, the successful businessman is a frequent guest speaker at local universities to inspire students.
Asked about the startup climate in Oman, Al Khonji admitted there was always a risk involved. He mentioned funding and obtaining all the required certificates from the government as the biggest milestones. Talking about the future of Omani entrepreneurs, he said there is always risk involved in starting a business. According to him, the driving force was the will power to succeed. However, he also emphasized the importance of marketing and branding to sell a product. Al Khonji said there was a lot of potential in Oman, especially in sectors like real estate, manufacturing, oil and gas.